The present invention relates to an Improved Button Puncher or Crimper which is capable of vastly improving the efficiency and ease with which adjacent sheets of metal decking are button punched, pinched or pressed together in order to be permanently joined.
In the construction of a floor in a multi-story structure, a metal deck is required as the foundation of each floor. Concrete is subsequently poured over the assembled metal decking. Comparable metal decking is used in the construction of a metal roof. The metal decking is formed from elongated metal sheets which must be joined together at their adjacent longitudinal edges in order to form the completed deck. For example, each sheet of metal decking can be formed from steel sheets conforming to ASTM A611 Grade C or ASTM A446 Grade A steel with a minimum yield of 33,000 psi. The deck finish can be either zinc coated conforming to ASTM A525 Class G-60 or phosphatized topside and baked enamel primer painted underside. Each sheet of metal is in a corrugated design which facilitates structural bonding with the concrete which is poured over the finished metal deck. Each sheet of metal is of uniform width throughout. Typically, the width can range from 24 inches to 32 inches, although widths outside this range are certainly possible. Each sheet of metal is of uniform height or depth, although the height or depth will vary across the width of each sheet due to its corrugated design. Typically, the height or depth of each metal sheet can range from 19/32nds of an inch to 3 inches, although it is possible to have the height of the metal sheet outside this range. Typically, the length or span of each metal sheet can range from 4 feet to 14 feet, although lengths outside this range are certainly possible.
Each metal sheet is designed so that one lengthwise edge is folded over along its length to form a concave edge along the entire length. This edge of each metal sheet is considered to be the female member. The opposite lengthwise edge is bent upward such that it is substantially perpendicular to the base of the metal sheet. This edge of each metal sheet is considered to be the male member. The metal decking is constructed such that each metal sheet is laid side by side in a lengthwise direction such that the male lengthwise edge of each metal sheet is inserted into the female lengthwise edge of the adjacent metal sheet. The male and female edges are then crimped or pressed together in several places along their length in order to join one metal sheet to the next. A multiplicity of such metal sheets are joined in this fashion to form the metal deck. The deck is placed on the supporting framework and welded to the supports.
The tool commonly used to button punch or crimp the male and female lengthwise edges of the metal sheets together has been in use in the prior art for many years. The prior art tool for performing this task essentially looks like a giant pair of pliers. In operation, the jaws of the tool are placed over the assembled male and female lengthwise edge and the handles of the tool are pushed together in order to have the jaws close over the male and female lengthwise edge. In this fashion, the edges are crimped or pressed together. This operation is performed at several locations along the length, to join one metal sheet to the adjacent metal sheet. Due to the thickness of the metal and the small amount of leverage achieved with this prior art tool, use of this plier-like tool to press or crimp the metal together is an extremely slow and exhausting process. A construction worker can become easily fatigued because of the substantial amount of force that must be applied in order to press the male and female edges together throughout the length of the metal sheet, the fact that only his arms are used to apply the force, and the small amount of leverage achieved through use of this tool. It also takes a minute or more for each crimping operation at each location because of the arduous nature of the work and the inefficient way that the metal is pressed together through use of this tool.